Method of removing ballast with a vertical boom cribbing machine



Jan. 5, 1954 H. H. TALBOYS 2,664,652

METHOD OF REMOVING BALLAST WITH A VERTICAL BOOM CRIBBING MACHINE Filed July 8. 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l I ll :C\ l' I I I I l II II Jan. 5, 1954 H H TALBOYS 2,664,652

METHOD OF R EM(3VING BALLAST WITH A VERTICAL BOOM CRIBBING MACHINE Filed July 8. 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 5, 1954 METHOD OF REMOVING BALLAST WITH A VERTICAL BOOM CRIBBING MACHINE Henry H. Talboys, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to N ordberg Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application July 8, 1949, Serial No. 103,676

My invention relates to improvements in railroadtrackworking equipment and methods'and has for one purpose to provide means for quickly and economically removing ballast from a railroad right-of-wayadjacent the ends of the ties.

Another purpose is to provide a ballast removing mechanism which can operate in the intertie space between adjacent tracks.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claim.

I illustrate the invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings where- Figure l is an end elevation with parts in section;

Figure 2 is a detail illustrating and 6 Figure 3 is a vertical section illustrating the parts in a different position.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

The structure herein shown includes three main elements: a main frame or main carriage, which moves along and is supported on the rails of a track; a subframe or subcarriage which moves transversely on the main frame; and a chain guide or boom, which is movably mounted on the subcarriage.

Considering the specific showing of the drawa variant form;

ing's, I generally indicates the track ties, upon which are mounted any suitable rails 2. 3 generally indicates the ballast between the rails.

I employ a base or main frame which may in clude any suitable transversely extending structural members 4, connected by suitable members 5. Flanged rail engaging wheels 6 may be suitably journaled in bearings I, mounted on any suitable bearing supports 8. I may, for example, employtwo pairs of.-wheels ,6, one pair riding on each 61? the rails 2.

Mounted above the members 4 and 5 are transversely extending tracks, which may be conveniently formed by channel members or structural members 9 and II. Transversely reciprocable on the main frame and along the track members 9 and II is a subframe generally indicated at B, the main frame being generally indicated at A. The details of the subframe do not of themselves form part of the present invention and are illustrated, for example, in copending. application Serial No. 697,307, filed in the United States Patent Oflice on September 16, 1946, Now Patent No. 2,552,649, and assigned to the assignee of the present application.

The subframe, however, is provided with any '1 Claim. (01. s7 195)' 2 suitably flanged rollers l3, providing a convenient anti-frictional support for the 'subframe and permitting it to be moved readily transversely across the main frame A and thus across the track. Mounted on and movable with the sub frame, I illustrate any suitable engine, motoror power plant 25, the details of which do not of themselves form part of the present invention.

I illustrate also a motor-operated hydraulic pump assembly generally indicated at 26, also not indicated in detail. It will be understood,

however, that suitable fluid connections are provided between the pump 26 and the hinged or pivoted pump cylinders 21 and 28 pivotedto the subframe B as at Zia and28a. J T

To form a firm anchorage, I provide generally upright plates 29 on which the cylinders are pivot"- ed. In the cylinder 2! is mounted a piston 33 with its piston rod 34, the outer end of which is pivoted to members 35, which are anchored in or secured to cross members of the main frame A. Thus when the piston 33 and the cylinder 21 move in relation to each other, in response to addition or withdrawal of fluid by the pump 26, the entire subframe or subcarriage structure B is traversed across the track. The cylinder 28 has its own piston 35 and its piston rod 31, the purpose of which will later appear.

Movably mounted on the subframe B is the boom structure generally indicated asC. I find it advantageous to pivot the boom structure to the subframe and illustrate it as pivoted thereto concentric with one set of rollers or wheels H. The pivot is indicated at X in Figure l. The boom structure includea'for example, side plates 4! and a transversely extending supporting plate 43, to which may be bolted extension side plates ML. It will be understood that the boom may be stiffened or reinforced'in any suitablemanner, the details not of themselves forming a part of the present invention.

4? indicates a pair of end plates or chain bearing supporting plates, which are secured to the ends of the plates 44; by suitable bolts 48. Secured to the lower edgesof the plates 41 is. an outer boom-portion which, for convenience, I shall call-the nose of the boom, it being indicated at D. 6! indicates outer boom plates or track members having upper and lower edges adapted to receive the rollers of chain, generally indicated at E. The chain is shown as including a plurality of links 10, some of which have secured thereto or formed therewith digging or cutting elements H. The chain passes about drive sprocket 12 which, in turn, is driven by the sprocket 73, the drive chain 74, the intermediate sprocket 75 and the chain 76, all from the driving pinion 11 of the motor assembly. The chain E, driven by sprocket 12, passes about a roller 73 at the nose of the boom, and also about a roller 19.

It will thus be understood that during the op eration of the device, the chain E is driven at adequate speed and that the path of the individual links or cutting members of the chain conforms to the contour of the boom nose D.

Figure 2 illustrates a variant form of the boom nose D, in which the end roller 78a, as contrasted to the end roller 78 of Figure 1, is pivoted for rotation about an axis substantially in line with the vertical travel of the inner bight of the chain. The result is that, as will be clear from comparison of Figures 1 and 2, whereas in Figure 1 each of the digging or cutting members H passes through a relatively extended horizontal digging path, the horizontal component in Figure 2 is lacking.

It will be realized that whereas I have described and shown a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I wish my description and drawings to be taken as, in a broad sense, illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my specific showing herein.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

The present structure is particularly useful for clearing ballast from the space just beyond the ends of track ties and from inter-track space. For example, in closely spaced double tracks, space or width is lacking to use the structure or the above-mentioned copending application Serial No. 697,307, now Patent No. 2,552,649, in which the boom has a substantial elongation. The present application can be used to remove ballast from the tie ends and is not intended to enter an substantial distance between the ties or beneath the track rails.

In the transportation of the device along the rails, it will be understood that the boom structure C, D may be elevated about its axis X and that the subframe B may be centered on the main frame A. When the device is to be used, the boom may be lowered toward and eventually into the position which is shown in Figure 1, the subframe B being first positioned in relation to the frame A, so that when the chain E initially engages the surface of the ballast, it is at a proper 7 distance from the tie ends.

-As the boom is lowered to the fully lowered position of Figure 1, the chain E removes the ballast and drops it outwardly away from the tie ends. After the boom has reached the position of Figure 1, the subframe B may then be traversed somewhat to the right, referring to the position of the parts in Figure 1, until the end portion D of the boom approaches the rail. It will be understood that, since the subframe B is movable relative to the main frame A, it is possible to move the digging end D toward and away from the tie ends. It is also advantageous, however, to set the subframe in any desired relationship and then merely move the base frame slowly along the rails.

My structure may be employed to carry out a number of different methods. As above pointed out, it may be used to clean the cribs or intertie spaces beneath the rails, leaving the interrail space for other treatment.

However, I consider more important its use in a method for removing ballast from along the tie ends. The unit is moved, preferably continuously, along the rails, with the parts in the position in which they are shown in Figure 1. The excavating chain is maintained in digging movement and the result of the movement of the chain along the track is the cutting or excavating of a trench located adjacent but beyond the tie ends. The material excavated from the trench is thrown outwardly by the excavating chain E and may be disposed of as desired.

Under some circumstances it is advantageous to use the present structure in connection with the cribbing machine of the co-pending application Serial No. 697,307, now Patent No. 2,552,649. For example, the present structure may be used to out an initial trench, thus reducing the initial excavation of the cribbing machine of the earlier application.

Another useful application of the present struc ture is to eiravate at the tie ends for the insertion of tie jacks beneath the ties. Such jacks are used, for example, when tamping equipment is used in the inter-tie space.

I claim:

A method of removing ballast and forming a longitudinal trench adjacent but beyond the tie ends of a railway track or the like with an excavator element movable in a plurality of directions which includes the following steps: moving the excavator element along an excavation path which extends initially downwardly, then inwardly a distance less than the desired width of the trench, then downwardly a distance equaling approximately the desired depth of the trench, then outwardly a distance equaling approximately the desired width of the trench, and then upwardly; slowly lowering the excavator element until the inward portion of the path is approximately coincident with the surface of the ballast with the downward digging portion of the path beyond the tie ends while at the same time continuously moving the excavator element through the path longitudinally along the track to thereby excavate a trench of the desired depth adjacent but beyond the tie ends.

HENRY H. TALBOYS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,460,762 Miller July 3, 1923 1,557,908 Ursinc Oct. 20, 1925 2,552,649 Protzeller May 15, 1951 

